Author: Charlie Garrett

Friday, 27 March 2020

I write to you, fathers,
Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
Because you have overcome the wicked one.
I write to you, little children,
Because you have known the Father. 1 John 2:13

John’s poetic offset which began in verse 2:12 now continues with the first of two triplets. He first wrote to the “little children,” concerning their sins having been forgiven “for His name’s sake.” That was a general address to all of the categories he will now define by their maturity in Christ.

Beginning the triplet, he now next says, “I write to you, fathers.” The verb is present tense. It should read, “I am writing to you.” This is the case with all three instances in this verse.

The addressees being “fathers” indicates maturity and/or authority. Thus, his words next say, “Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.” The very statement indicates maturity. It speaks of a developed theology concerning the Person and work of Jesus Christ. As John said in His gospel –

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. ⁴ In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:1-4

That depth of knowledge is what John then expanded on as he introduced this epistle with the words, “That which was from the beginning.” The addressees as “fathers” speaks of such mature knowledge which can then be passed on to those believers who were but “little children” in the faith. For example, the fathers understand that Jesus is the eternally existent Creator – fully God and yet fully man because of the incarnation.

John then says, “I write to you young men.” The Greek word here speaks of a young man or a youth. James Strong defines him as someone who is under forty. John says he is writing to them because they “have overcome the wicked one.” At such an age, these addressees are in the process of formulating their Christian character and in rightly understanding the doctrines which are presented through the word and by the apostles.

They not only have an understanding of the forgiveness of sin through Christ, but they can apply that understanding in how that brings them to victory in Christ. To overcome is to have faith in Christ’s work, but just because a child (the previous verse) understands his sins are forgiven, he may not understand the doctrine of eternal salvation. In other words, one can be an overcomer without realizing it. The young men are established enough to understand this fact.

It is “the wicked one” they have overcome through the blood of Christ. There is the understanding that in Jesus, there is complete victory and total assurance of salvation. John will speak of the wicked one throughout this epistle, directly using the term, or by referring to him in other ways. In Chapter 3, he will return to the “little children,” to help them clarify their thinking about this entity –

“Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. ⁸ He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. ⁹ Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” 1 John 3:7-9

The “young men” possess enough understanding of the work of Christ to have the surety and maturity that the “little children” still lack.

John next says, “I write to you, little children.” Here, a different word is used than in verse 2:12. There, it was teknia. Here it is paidion. This speaks of a little child under training, maybe seven or younger. Some scholars apply it to one who is even up to twenty. Regardless of age, it speaks of a still immature believer. He is still referring to believers, but his words speak of real immaturity in Christ and a great need for doctrinal improvement. They know the Father because of the Son, but they are completely confused in their theology about the Son.

To them, John says, “Because you have known the Father.” The verb translated as “have known” is perfect tense. It thus gives the sense of “you do know, and you continue to know.” Simply stated, “you know.”

In such a person, he has the knowledge of forgiveness of sin. Through that knowledge, he has come to understand the very heart of the Father. Probably no better thought of the state of this addressee can be found than the opening words of the next chapter –

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. ² Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. ³ And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” 1 John 3:1-3

In coming to Christ, even the youngest and most immature believers can understand the love of the Father for his children. Thus, John addresses them in this manner.

Life application: As you can see, John is writing to the body of believers, but he is making real distinctions in their doctrinal maturity without questioning their salvation. May we act in a like manner towards those of less understanding and maturity in Christ.

Lord Jesus, help us to understand that just because someone is less informed about the mystery of Jesus’ work and the significance of what He has done, that person is no less saved than others are. May we never arrogantly point our fingers at another blood-bought believer in Christ and tear them apart just because we have a deeper knowledge of who He is and what He did than they do. Instead, help us be instruments of correction and sound doctrine for them. Amen.

Thursday, 26 March 2020

I write to you, little children,
Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake. 1 John 2:12

This verse starts an entirely new section of the letter; one which is ordered by repetition, and one which has a decided symmetry. Modern translations tend to offset it in a manner one would recognize as poetic. It is formed as a pair of “triplets” and in the original Greek, the tense switches in the middle of the section, but without any indication as to why this occurs.

There is an enormous amount of commentary concerning 1 John 2:12-14, and it is quite often compiled into a single commentary rather than three individual commentaries. This is because of the unusual addressees (little children, young men, and fathers), and because of the change from “I write” of the first two verses to “I have written” of the last verse.

Because of the repetition of the addressees, and the unusual formatting of the words, it is hard to analyze each verse individually without missing the overall structure of this wonderful poetic offset.

As a simple breakdown of the three together, Charles Ellicott reveals the following –

1.All readers.
1.Children in age. [Suggested, according to the perfect simplicity of St. John’s style, by the term used in the first set for his readers generally.]

2.Fathers.
2.Fathers.

3.Youths.
3.Youths.

Reasons.

1.Forgiveness.
1.Knowledge of the Father.

2.Knowledge of Christ.
2.Knowledge of Christ.

3.Victory.
3.Strength, perseverance, victory.

With this general structure in mind, John begins this offset with the words, “I write to you, little children.” The verb is present tense, and should say, “I am writing.” The word for “little children” is teknion. It signifies a little child. It is only used by John, eight times, in this epistle.

Some scholars say it should be taken as a literal address to little children. Others say that John is speaking figuratively of Christians in general, or of immature Christians. Referring to the other uses of the word in Chapters 3, 4, and 5, it is evident that John is using it as a term of endearment, not as an address to literal infants.

The word for “little children” here is different than the word used for “little children” of the next verse. Thus, the “little children” of this verse is speaking in a general sense to all three of the categories in verses 2:13 and 2:14. That is consistent with his use of this term throughout the epistle. In other words, the same people he calls “little children” in this verse will be defined by their maturity in Christ in the next two verses as “fathers,” “young men,” and “little children” (using a different word).

The variation in terms from little children, to young men, to fathers is then a literary technique intended to highlight his words and show an advancement in thought.

With this in mind, John next says, “Because your sins are forgiven you.” Here, the verb is in the perfect tense. It more accurately reads “have been forgiven.” The act is done, once and forever.

The reason for calling his audience “little children” becomes obvious here. John is speaking of and to all people. As all people are born in Adam, all people – including little children – have inherited sin. From the moment of conception, through the gestation period, at the time of birth, and as a child grows to the age of weaning, all people bear the stain of Adam’s sin.

Because of this, there is a disconnect between God and man. It is one which extends to all. However, in Christ there is forgiveness. The one who comes to Christ in faith, as a little child, is granted forgiveness of sins “for His name’s sake.” God was pleased to forgive the erring child of his sins because of that simple act of faith in what He accomplished through the giving of His own Son.

Therefore, John tenderly notes the love of God in Christ for the sons of Adam who are willing to come to Him through Jesus and become adopted sons of God. They become His “little children,” and John addresses them as such, calling them his own “little children” who are now in the faith and under his care as an Apostle of Jesus Christ.

Life application: As the words “your sins are forgiven” are in the perfect tense, meaning the forgiveness has already been accomplished and is complete, we have, again and for the ten jillionth time in the New Testament, the absolute assurance of eternal salvation. That which has been forgiven is finished, complete, and perfect. Future transgressions are already under the blood and forgiven even though we haven’t yet committed them.

Let us endeavor to not commit them though, but to live for our Heavenly Father through the great sacrifice of our Lord Jesus and for His name’s sake. Should we falter in our attempts, let us recognize our failure and press on in His great and eternal assurance. No greater gift has ever been given, so let us remember it in both our failings and in our determined effort to move forward. Let us put the past behind.

O Heavenly Father! As your little children, we thank You for the tender words of forgiveness You provide us in Your word. Thank You for being the gracious and loving Creator who cares enough, even about us, to send Your Son as an offering of peace and reconciliation. Give us the determined effort to live for You, through His name, all the days of our lives. Amen.

Wednesday, 25 March 2020

But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.1 John 2:11

John now builds upon his thought from verse 9. He said there that if one says he is in the light and yet “hates his brother,” he remains in darkness. Now he says, “But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness.” The verb is present, indicative, active – he is currently walking in the darkness, it is a certainty that this is so, and his walk is ongoing.

In the previous verse, John had said, “He who loves his brother abides in the light.” In this verse, he states the opposite, but it is an all-inclusive thought. To love is a volitional act. However, to hate involves both active hating as well as simply not loving. To not love is to hate. For a person who is in such a condition, he says that he “does not know where he is going.”

A person who walks in the dark cannot sense which direction is right, if there is an open well in front of him, or if a tiger is ready to spring on him. He simply ambles about groping, but unable to find his way. This is a person who is unloving to his brother. And the reason is that “the darkness has blinded his eyes.”

The verb here is in the aorist tense. In hating, blindness occurs. It is a set thing which then continues on from that point. To hate those in the brotherhood is to demonstrate a state of blindness which encompasses the entire state of the individual. Christ is the light of men, and to hate those who are of Christ is to then hate the light of Christ in them. There must, therefore, be an active loving of believers to avoid such a catastrophic state in a person.

Life application: In these verses, the contrast is made to show the complete illumination of the light in the believer’s life and the absolute darkness of the person deceived through hate. Notice that the previous three verses are almost like a light switch for us to use as a demonstration –

1) The brother who hates is in the darkness (regardless of what he claims, the switch is “off”);
2) (Switch on the light and see the contrast…) The brother who loves abides in the light and has no occasion to stumble.
3) (Turn the light back off and see the result – “See, the difference!”) This brother is in darkness, his walk (meaning the direction he is heading) is in darkness and hence he is completely lost. The darkness has robbed him of any light at all. He is overshadowed and overcome by darkness.

Such is the tremendous power of hate. It not only robs us of light, but it robs us of any sense of proper direction, and it also robs us of any possibility of spiritual discernment (thus the “blinded eye” metaphor). The lesson being imparted is obvious – if you are consumed by hate, you have completely departed from spiritual light, regardless of what you claim; you are self-deceived. Hate is powerful and blinding, so be on guard against it.

O God – You who dwell in light, keep us from hating our brothers and thus blinding ourselves to the light of Your word. Take away any bitterness that resides in us and give us the power to hand our grief, frustration, and bitterness over to You. Fill us with love for those brothers who have been our enemies so that we may again walk in Your light, without fear of stumbling. Amen.

Tuesday, 24 March 2020

He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 1 John 2:10

In an initial read of this sentence, one may immediately say, “I understand. John’s words are clear.” But through a quick evaluation of possibilities of what it could mean, the waters may easily get muddied. Cambridge provides four possibilities to what John means –

“There are several ways of taking this. 1. He has in him nothing likely to ensnare him or cause him to stumble. 2. He has in him nothing likely to cause others to stumble. 3. There is in his case nothing likely to cause stumbling. 4. In the light there is nothing likely to cause stumbling;—the Greek for ‘in him’ being either masculine or neuter, and therefore capable of meaning ‘in it’. All make good sense, and the last makes a good antithesis to ‘knoweth not whither he goeth’ in 1 John 2:11 : but the first is to be preferred on account of 1 John 2:11. Yet in favour of the second it is worth noting that σκάνδαλον is commonly, if not always, used of offence caused to others.” 

What may be on John’s mind as he wrote these words was what Jesus said in John 11 –

“Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. ¹⁰ But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.’” John 11:9, 10

If this is so, then Cambridge’s Option 4 is what is being referred to. However, the word used in John 11 is not the same as that being used here. Despite this, the thought is rather similar. Verses 9-11 show a progression of thought –

He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.

He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.

But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

It is the light and the darkness which are the main subjects of each verse. They are given to contrast one another, just as Jesus spoke in John 11. Those states are brought about by either love or hate. When one hates, he is in darkness. When one loves, he abides in light. In hating, one has his eyes blinded. In a state of blindness, the person stumbles.

Therefore, John’s words show a uniting of the act of love of a brother and the state of abiding in the light. In such a state, there is no reason why he should stumble. In this, he is safe in his walk and can feel secure in his salvation. In verse 15 (and after), John will show that it is not love itself that makes one secure. There, he will speak of the love of the world – something contrary to “the love of the Father.” Therefore, the love of the brother (a love which is properly directed) is a sign of abiding in the light.

Life application: Notice that this verse says, “He who loves” rather than “He who says he loves.” John is making sure that this is a true heartfelt condition in the believer and not just a casual acknowledgment of an expected condition – “Yeah, I love Brother John, but….” There is no “but” and no other conditional argument to be posited here. In other words, we need to actively pursue the love we may not really be feeling until we come to the point that we really feel it.

It is far too easy to pay lip service to this concept and deprive ourselves of the true joy of brotherly love. And not only do we deprive ourselves of this joy, but we also keep a rift between us and the Lord. Darkness surrounds at least a part of what should be intimate fellowship with Him.

John says that such a person who truly loves his brother “abides” in the light. Rather than being a temporary pilgrim who steps in and out of the light, this person lives as a permanent resident in God’s presence which is absolute light; in Him there is no darkness at all.

There is also “no cause for stumbling” in a person who lives in constant love of his brothers. John Wesley says, “He that hates his brother is an occasion of stumbling to himself. He stumbles against himself, and against all things within and without; while he that loves his brother has a free disencumbered journey.”

Don’t feel bad if you know in your heart that you haven’t measured up to the command here. All Christians struggle with the challenge of loving an annoying brother, all struggle with the challenge of loving a bitter brother, and all struggle with the challenge of loving an antagonistic brother. The path of least resistance is to remove oneself from his presence, but the condition which brings about a real walk in the light of God’s garden is to demonstrate that high and noble love even to the one who is otherwise unlovable.

Heavenly Father, You have asked us to love those who are our brothers in Christ. But that seems like a giant hurdle at times. Help us to consider that Christ also died for them, they received that payment, and they are adopted as sons through faith. If You have accepted them, then how can we hate them? Give us the ability to do what often seems contrary to our will. Help us to love those who otherwise seem unlovable to us so that we will reflect the love You have already shown. Amen.

Monday, 23 March 2020

He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. 1 John 2:9

Again, as he has done elsewhere, John now pens a thought antithetical to the previous thought. In the previous verse, there is a positive statement first which says, “the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.” In this verse, there is a negative which says, “He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.”

The light of Christ is shining, and someone may say, “I am in the light,” claiming that he is a true follower of the Lord. However, John shows the illogical nature of such a statement if he also “hates his brother.” Here, a “brother” is certainly speaking of a saved believer in Christ. It can, at times, extend to all people. In this case, the true believer is in the light. Light and light complement one another, but light and darkness do not.

John equates darkness with hate. But if God is light, and the gospel is the means of transmitting His light to the world, then there can be no darkness in it. So, how can someone who hates one who is in the light be in the light? John is asking his reader to think this through logically, and to understand that in hating a brother, one is hating what is good. As that which is good is light, then such a person who hates one in the light “is in darkness until now.”

In the heart, there is only room for one or the other. We cannot love as instructed (see 1 Corinthians 13) and also have hate at the same time. But this is the contradictory thinking of humans. We do not think critically, and thus our minds are obscured with darkness.

John will take this thought and expand on it, and he will further clarify it in the next two verses.

Life application: We simply cannot hate our fellow Christians and claim we are walking in the light of God’s love. The two are incompatible and John is immensely blunt in what he writes.

We need to be careful though and not take this to an unintended extreme. If a brother has bad doctrine, if a pastor teaches what is inappropriate, if a preacher fails to preach the truth, we aren’t asked to simply roll over and cover their waywardness with a blanket of gushy love. Rather, such teachings need to be addressed, rebuked, and even excommunicated from the fellowship lest they poison the minds of those who are seeking out the truth.

Balance is needed in the Christian walk – love for the brotherhood while maintaining doctrinal purity. To have love without proper doctrine is a demonstration of untrue love; to have doctrine without love leads to only coldness and condemnation. When the two are properly balanced, Christ is in His rightful spot as the Giver of truth and the Sustainer of the fellowship. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus and we will be well rounded in our walk, which is in His light.

Jesus, may we never forsake love when speaking Your word to others. But surely may we also keep from compromising Your truth for the sake of false love and tolerance of what is not right. Give us the proper balance when discussing Your word. May we properly and faithfully fellowship with our brothers in Christ, loving them as is proper and fitting. Amen.